Imagine how awkward face-to-face interactions would be if we could no longer answer questions with a simple "Yes" or "No", but instead had to speak using user interface lingo?
"We need to check your bags for security. Is that okay?" — SUBMIT!
"Would you like to add fries with that?" — APPLY!
"Are you ready to check out?"
— CANCEL!
Oh, the weird looks we’d get as they slowly back away; them being just as unsure of how to proceed as we’d be after shouting in all caps.
Why aren’t we phased by this as we navigate our apps and the web? If a pop-up window appeared on your screen right now with two buttons for OKAY and CANCEL, we probably wouldn’t bat an eye. Familiarity-bred acceptance?
Sometimes they get the better of us, and throw a curve ball our way. It’s like a 50/50 flip of a coin in which you can't tell which option will get you to where you want but the other will ruin your day.
Quick!
Which button won't erase all the form data you've been entering for the past hour?
Which button won't send the unintentionally attached photo to all your friends??
Which button won't discard the draft article you’re actively writing?
D’oh!
You should have chosen more carefully! Good luck on draft #2!
Lucky for me, Squarespace does an overall decent job at making my choices understandable.
One might think that the age of being confronted with confusing choices during critical moments should have been over. However, I can’t help but feel that—as a whole—we’re still not designing interface interactions for our users’ perspectives.
I’ve intentionally written “we” throughout this post as it takes a team to get something designed, developed, and out the door. This means there are so many of us who can speak up about these concerns, but alas, usability issues keeping finding a way to slip through.
Enabling user to make informed choices requires them to be able to understand the questions, the outcomes, and the possible answers. But, was their language used when defining the database requirements? Documing the user flow? Creating the help content?
When we speak from our software and systems point-of-view, it inevitably translates into what our end-users see.
Design interactions like they’d play out in a face-to-face setting. Use the customers’ language in meetings and notes. Embrace the environment of those we’re building something to serve.
Let's work together on breaking this habit.
...and, Yes, I did just watch The Big Lebowski again before writing this title.